Deck 17: Motivating Employees

Question 1

According to the goal-setting theory,a generalized goal of "do your best" will produce a higher output than specific,challenging goals.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory,lower-order needs are predominantly satisfied internally while higher-order needs are satisfied externally.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The term job design refers to the way tasks are combined to form complete jobs.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

According to the job characteristics model,combining fragmented tasks will help increase skill variety and task identity.

Question 5

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory,once a need is substantially satisfied,an individual is no longer motivated to satisfy that need.

Question 6

When considering how to motivate employees,it must be kept in mind that professionals tend to be focused on their work as their central life interest,whereas nonprofessionals typically have other interests outside of work that can compensate for needs not met on the job.

Question 7

Joseph,a line manager at a plant,believes that his workers have little drive and will not work unless pushed by him.Therefore,he closely monitors and controls their work and pulls up those who do not meet his standards.Joseph is a Theory Y manager.

Question 8

Job enlargement refers to the horizontal expansion of a job by increasing job scope.

Question 9

Frederick Herzberg found that when employees were dissatisfied,they tended to cite extrinsic factors arising from the job context such as company policy and administration,supervision,interpersonal relationships,and working conditions.

Question 10

Recent research shows that distributive justice has a greater influence on employee satisfaction than procedural justice.

Question 11

An enriched job allows workers to do an entire activity with increased freedom,independence,and responsibility.

Question 12

In the job characteristics model,task significance refers to the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work.

Question 13

People with a high need for achievement strive for the trappings and rewards of success rather than for personal achievement.

Question 14

Making jobs smaller and more specialized is the most effective way of motivating employees.

Question 15

Research clearly indicates that the Theory Y manager is more effective in motivating employees than the Theory X manager.

Question 16

Due to its emphasis on objectivity and specificity,the goal-setting theory holds across cultures.

Question 17

The definition of motivation has three key elements: energy,direction,and persistence.

Question 18

Research indicates that the desire for interesting work is important to almost all workers,regardless of national culture.

Question 19

Managers using reinforcement theory to motivate employees should ignore,not punish,undesirable behavior.

Question 20

Research indicates that,for the most part,pay-for-performance programs show positive results.

Question 21

Which of the following needs is a lower-order need in Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory?

A)physiological
B)esteem
C)social
D)self-actualization

Question 22

In the context of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory,when a company names an "Employee of the Month" and "Employee of the Quarter," the company is addressing employees' ________ needs.

A)safety
B)self-actualization
C)esteem
D)physiological

Question 23

The ________ element in the definition of motivation is a measure of intensity,drive,and vigor.

A)persistence
B)conformance
C)energy
D)direction

Question 24

McGregor's Theory Y assumes that employees ________.

A)have little ambition
B)want to avoid responsibility
C)enjoy work
D)need to be closely controlled to work effectively

Question 25

The two-factor theory-also known as the motivation-hygiene theory-was proposed by ________.

A)David McClelland
B)Abraham Maslow
C)Douglas McGregor
D)Frederick Herzberg

Question 26

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory,when an employer provides his employees health insurance,he is taking care of their ________ needs.

A)safety
B)social
C)self-actualization
D)esteem

Question 27

In the context of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory,when a company has a space where employees can meet during breaks and catch up with each other,the company is taking care of the employees' ________ needs.

A)safety
B)self-actualization
C)social
D)physiological

Question 28

In Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory,________ needs form the lowest or foundational step in the hierarchy.

A)social
B)physiological
C)esteem
D)safety

Question 29

Theory X and Theory Y-two assumptions about human nature-were proposed by ________.

A)Frederick Herzberg
B)Douglas McGregor
C)Abraham Maslow
D)David McClelland

Question 30

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory,________ needs are predominantly satisfied externally while ________ needs are satisfied internally.

A)social; physiological
B)safety; self-actualization
C)self-actualization; physiological
D)social; safety

Question 31

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory,a person's needs for self-respect,autonomy,achievement,status,recognition,and attention constitute his ________ needs.

A)safety
B)physical
C)social
D)esteem

Question 32

According to Herzberg's two-factor theory,which of the following is a hygiene factor?

A)recognition
B)advancement
C)working conditions
D)responsibility

Question 33

McGregor's Theory X assumes that employees ________.

A)need to be closely controlled to work effectively
B)enjoy work
C)seek out and accept responsibility
D)exercise self-direction

Question 34

Irene,CEO of a small company,strongly believes in Douglas McGregor's assumptions about human nature.Which of the following management practices is Irene most likely to favor to maximize employee motivation?

A)a top-down decision-making structure
B)a stringent system of monitoring and controlling employees
C)making jobs narrower in scope and shallow in depth
D)participatory management

Question 35

Which of the following needs is the highest in Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory?

A)safety needs
B)self-actualization needs
C)esteem needs
D)social needs

Question 36

The hierarchy of needs theory of motivation was proposed by ________,a psychologist who proposed that within every person is a hierarchy of five needs.

A)Douglas McGregor
B)Frederick Herzberg
C)Abraham Maslow
D)David McClelland

Question 37

According to Herzberg's two-factor theory,which of the following is a motivator?

A)working conditions
B)salary
C)responsibility
D)security

Question 38

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory,a person's needs for growth,achieving one's potential,and self-fulfillment,and the drive to become what one is capable of becoming constitute his or her ________ needs.

A)physiological
B)safety
C)social
D)self-actualization

Question 39

Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory proposes that ________.

A)intrinsic factors cause job dissatisfaction
B)extrinsic factors have the maximum effect on job satisfaction
C)extrinsic factors are associated with job dissatisfaction
D)intrinsic factors have little effect on job satisfaction

Question 40

Which of the following needs is a lower-order need in Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory?

A)social
B)esteem
C)safety
D)self-actualization

Question 41

________ theory says that behavior is a function of its consequences.

A)Reinforcement
B)Goal-setting
C)Equity
D)Two-factor

Question 42

________ and his associates proposed the three-needs theory.

A)Frederick Herzberg
B)Abraham Maslow
C)David McClelland
D)Douglas McGregor

Question 43

Goal-setting theory assumes that an individual is committed to the goal.Commitment is most likely when ________.

A)goals are assigned and not self-set
B)goals are not made public
C)the individual has an internal locus of control
D)the individual has low self-efficacy

Question 44

The three-needs theory of motivation states that there are three ________ needs that are major motives in work.

A)physical
B)acquired
C)safety
D)innate

Question 45

According to the three-needs theory,the need for ________ is the need to make others behave in a way that they would not have behaved otherwise.

A)safety
B)affiliation
C)power
D)achievement

Question 46

You are acting as manager and mentor to Melanie,an employee who has been identified as a high achiever.Going by McClelland's three-needs theory,which of the following measures would best help you motivate Marsha to do her best?

A)promising her a promotion and a raise if she reaches her targets
B)giving her a job that holds her personally responsible for finding solutions to problems
C)setting goals that are just out of her reach
D)giving her a managerial position that requires her to help others accomplish their goals

Question 47

People with a high need for achievement ________.

A)emphasize helping others accomplish their goals
B)make good managers,especially in large organizations
C)prefer moderately challenging goals
D)emphasize the rewards of success

Question 48

Which of the following are the three needs identified in the three-needs theory of motivation?

A)need for affiliation,need for security,need for power
B)need for achievement,need for power,need for affiliation
C)need for power,need for achievement,need for safety
D)need for power,need for safety,need for affiliation

Question 49

The three needs identified in the three-needs theory can be measured by using a projective test known as the ________ in which respondents react to a set of pictures.Each picture is briefly shown to a person who writes a story based on the picture.Trained interpreters then determine the individual's levels of nAch,nPow,and nAff from the stories written.

A)House-Tree-Person Test
B)Thematic Apperception Test
C)Robert's Apperception Test
D)Rorschach test

Question 50

According to the three-needs theory,the best managers tend to be ________.

A)low in the need for affiliation
B)low in the need for power
C)high in the need for security
D)high in the need for achievement

Question 51

Goal-setting theory says that ________.

A)goals should be loosely defined and moderately challenging to maximize motivation
B)a generalized goal of "do your best" is likely to be most effective in ensuring high performance
C)difficult goals,when accepted,result in higher performance than do easy goals
D)to be effective,goals set should be easily achievable for the top performers

Question 52

Which of the following is true about Herzberg's two-factor theory?

A)Herzberg believed that the factors that led to job satisfaction were the same as those that led to job dissatisfaction.
B)To motivate people,Herzberg suggested emphasizing the hygiene factors of a job.
C)Herzberg's theory has influenced how we currently design jobs.
D)According to Herzberg,removing dissatisfying characteristics from a job will invariably make that job more satisfying and motivating.

Question 53

The goal-setting theory has the most value when ________.

A)the individual is a high achiever
B)the goals are assigned to the individual
C)the individual has low self-efficacy
D)the goals are made public

Question 54

In the context of the reinforcement theory,reinforcers are ________.

A)those consequences that immediately follow a behavior and increase the probability that the behavior will be repeated
B)punishments or rewards that are given out for negative or positive employee behavior,respectively
C)the specific,unambiguous goals that have been set for employees as a standard for measuring their performance
D)the supervisors or managers who have the responsibility of monitoring and reinforcing desired employee behavior

Question 55

The goal-setting theory states that ________.

A)employee participation in goal-setting is not always necessary for ensuring performance
B)self-generated feedback is largely ineffective as a motivator
C)in order to maximize performance,goals must not be made public
D)motivation is maximized by setting moderately challenging goals

Question 56

The goal-setting theory has most value in countries where ________.

A)there is low uncertainty avoidance
B)there is high power distance
C)individuals are low in assertiveness
D)subordinates are reasonably independent

Question 57

According to the three-needs theory,the need for ________ is the desire for friendly and close interpersonal relationships.

A)control
B)affiliation
C)power
D)achievement

Question 58

Which of the following needs identified in the three-needs theory has been researched the most?

A)security
B)affiliation
C)power
D)achievement

Question 59

According to the three-needs theory,the need for ________ is the drive to succeed and excel in relation to a set of standards.

A)control
B)affiliation
C)power
D)achievement

Question 60

Herzberg called the factors that create job dissatisfaction ________ factors; when these factors are adequate,people won't be dissatisfied,but they won't be satisfied either.

A)intrinsic
B)hygiene
C)motivating
D)neutral

Question 61

Sarah is using the JCM to redesign jobs for her small team of writers.After carefully analyzing their jobs,she determines that while their jobs are high in skill variety,task identity,task significance,and autonomy,they receive little feedback about their work.Which of the following steps will enable Sarah to improve this aspect of their jobs?

A)adding editing and proof-reading duties to their existing work
B)allowing the writers to directly conduct business with their clients
C)allowing writers to choose their topics and assignments
D)making employees responsible for executing a piece of work from start to finish

Question 62

In the job characteristics model,task significance refers to the degree to which a job ________.

A)provides freedom,independence,and discretion to the individual in carrying out the work
B)requires a variety of activities and uses a number of different employee skills and talents
C)requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work
D)has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people

Question 63

Which of the following is true about job enlargement and job enrichment?

A)Job enlargement efforts that focus solely on increasing the number of tasks are largely effective in increasing employee motivation.
B)Research shows that job enrichment improves employee motivation and satisfaction.
C)Expanding the scope of knowledge used in a job leads to more job satisfaction,enhanced customer service,and fewer errors.
D)Research shows that job enrichment is very useful in improving the quality of work of employees.

Question 64

According to the JCM,which three job characteristics are crucial to an employee experiencing meaningfulness of his or her work?

A)autonomy,task identity,and task significance
B)skill variety,task identity,and task significance
C)autonomy,feedback,and task significance
D)skill variety,autonomy,and feedback

Question 65

Which of the following actions accurately reflects the reinforcement theory of motivation?

A)A company's policy of cutting a day's pay if an employee reports to work later than 10.30 A.M.
B)A company's policy of giving its sales staff cash coupons for exceeding their daily targets.
C)A company initiating a process of job redesign to engage its employees better.
D)A company setting specific and difficult goals and ensuring that employees accept them.

Question 66

Which of the following is a framework for analyzing and designing jobs that identifies five primary core job dimensions,their interrelationships,and their impact on outcomes.

A)relational perspective of work design
B)job skill matrix
C)job characteristics model
D)job descriptive index

Question 67

________ refers to the horizontal expansion of a job by increasing job scope,or the number of different tasks required in a job and the frequency with which those tasks are repeated.

A)Job enrichment
B)Empowerment
C)Job enlargement
D)Job sharing

Question 68

According to the JCM,which job characteristic results in the employee knowing about the actual results of his or her work activities?

A)task significance
B)autonomy
C)feedback
D)skill variety

Question 69

"In jobs today,employees rely more and more on those around them for information,advice,and assistance." Which of the following approaches to job design best reflects this statement?

A)the relational perspective of work design
B)the job characteristics model
C)the proactive perspective of work design
D)high involvement work practices

Question 70

In the job characteristics model,________ refers to the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work.

A)task significance
B)skill variety
C)autonomy
D)task identity

Question 71

The ________ of work design says that employees are taking the initiative to change how their work is performed.

A)social model
B)proactive perspective
C)job characteristics model
D)relational perspective

Question 72

The equity theory proposes that ________.

A)offering employees part of the company's shares,or equity,motivates them to do their best because their performance directly ties in with the company's
B)employees expect that exerting a given amount of effort will lead to a certain level of performance and will be demotivated if that does not happen
C)an employee compares his or her job's input-outcomes ratio with that of relevant others and then corrects any inequity
D)employees are more likely to show initiative at work if they are more involved in decisions that affect their work

Question 73

According to the JCM,which job characteristic leads to an employee experiencing responsibility for outcomes of his or her work?

A)task significance
B)autonomy
C)feedback
D)skill variety

Question 74

In the job characteristics model,the dimension of ________ refers to the degree to which doing work activities required by a job results in an individual obtaining direct and clear information about the effectiveness of his or her performance.

A)task significance
B)feedback
C)task identity
D)autonomy

Question 75

________ justice is the perceived fairness of the amount and allocation of rewards among individuals.

A)Distributive
B)Restorative
C)Retributive
D)Procedural

Question 76

In the job characteristics model,the dimension of ________ refers to the degree to which a job provides substantial freedom,independence,and discretion to the individual in scheduling the work and determining the procedures to be used in carrying it out.

A)task significance
B)autonomy
C)task identity
D)skill variety

Question 77

________ refers to the number of different tasks required in a job and the frequency with which those tasks are repeated.

A)Job scope
B)Job depth
C)Task significance
D)Task identity

Question 78

The way tasks are combined to form complete jobs is referred to as ________.

A)job evaluation
B)job rotation
C)job design
D)job specification

Question 79

________ refers to the vertical expansion of a job by adding planning and evaluating responsibilities.

A)Job enrichment
B)Job enlargement
C)Job sharing
D)Job rotation

Question 80

________ refers to the degree of control employees have over their work.

A)Task identity
B)Task significance
C)Job scope
D)Job depth